Court Mandates CCB To Reveal Assets Of Jonathan, Buhari, Osinbajo, And Others

Court Mandates CCB To Reveal Assets Of Jonathan, Buhari, Osinbajo, And Others....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The Abuja Court of Appeal declined the plea to enforce disclosure of asset declarations made by former presidents, vice presidents, and key National Assembly figures. This decision stemmed from the rejection of an appeal lodged by the Public & Private Development Centre (PPDC) and the Incorporated Trustees of the African Centre for Media & Information Literacy.

These organizations had previously contested a lower court’s ruling that denied them access to asset declaration forms submitted to the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) by past political leaders. The case originated from the CCB’s refusal to comply with their request under the Freedom of Information Act.

Despite their efforts, a three-member panel of justices unanimously dismissed the appeals. PPDC specifically sought the asset declaration forms of former president Goodluck Jonathan, his vice Namadi Sambo, as well as ex-president Muhammadu Buhari and his vice, Yemi Osinbajo. Similarly, the African Media Centre requested the forms of former principal officers of the National Assembly.

However, the high court’s dismissal of their suit was upheld by the Court of Appeal. Justice Okon Abang, delivering the verdict, highlighted the appellants’ failure to meet the necessary conditions for obtaining such information. He deemed their application premature, stating that the National Assembly hadn’t established terms and conditions for public access to the assets forms.

Moreover, Justice Abang underscored the alignment of the right to information with constitutional provisions rather than the FOI Act. He emphasized the supremacy of the 1999 Constitution and its potential nullification of FOI Act provisions inconsistent with it.

Consequently, the appellate court not only dismissed the appeal but also imposed a cost of N200,000 each against the appellants.

For more information join our WhatsApp group by clicking the link here: WhatsApp Group Invite

Stay connected via Google News

Follow us for the latest travel updates and guides.